SAN JOSE – A $20 million grant to begin the final leg of the BART Silicon Valley Phase II Extension was ratified today by the California Transportation Commission, bringing the day when BART cars roll through San Jose to Santa Clara a step closer.

“This makes it official: The BART extension project will now receive the seed money it needs to begin the necessary planning and the relocation utility lines,’’ said Senator Jim Beall, D-San Jose, who serves as the chairman of the state Senate Transportation Committee. “The grant is the impetus we need to get this project going.’’